After Ganga left him, Shantanu continued his reign. He was sad. Yet he remained a just ruler and spent his days free of lust or anger.

After many years Ganga had left him, once Shantanu reached the riverbank chasing a deer on a hunt. He noticed a tall boy – handsome as god – was shooting arrows on the riverbank. The boy shot so rapidly that the sky was almost covered. Shantanu was impressed, but the boy soon disappeared.

The mysterious boy reminded Shantanu of his own son whom he had never met since birth.  

The old king prayed to the river: “O beloved Ganga, please let me see my son”. Ganga, beautiful and ageless, emerged from the river in a white dress.  The same tall boy was at her side.

She was overwhelmed too: “Oh my dear king, let me present you our son -- Debabrata”.

“I have raised him worthy to be an emperor.”

“ He had studied Vedas under Vashishta. He has mastered all the scriptures known to Professor  Shukra  or BrihashPati, and he mastered all the weapons known to YamadAgnya. ”

“ Please accept this great warrior, this royal boy, under your fold”.